Atlanta drivers... I have the secrets to safe driving (Alpharetta: transplants, live in)

[Noc]

Originally Posted by neil0311

As I was driving home from Charlotte, NC this afternoon, I hit 285 at about 5pm. On a clear, dry, sunny day, there were a couple of fender bender type accidents that were blocking lanes and causing delays near the Perimeter Mall exit.

I wanted to share these simple secrets to reducing or elminating these types of crashes that seem to litter the highways in the Atlanta area. I don't realize how terrible the driving is in Atlanta, until I travel back north or to the west coast on business and remember that in other areas people don't act the way drivers do on Atlanta roads. I don't know why, but the tailgating and excessive speeding is just rampant here in Atlanta, to the point of being rediculous. It's no wonder that accidents happen when the car behind you is on your ass trying to do 80 and can't react to conditions ahead. Let's not even discuss the lack of using turn signals.

• Don't drive 80 mph
• Don't sit on my bumper trying to force me to do 80mph (or any speed)
• Use a turn signal and stop weaving in and out of lanes and hitting your brakes while sitting on my bumper trying to do 80mph
• Get that damn cell phone out of your ear and pay attention
• Fix your car. Make sure your tires have tread, your brakes work, and you can see out of that cracked windshield.

I have to agree 100%

When I was in Atlanta over the summer driving I every time I looked in my rear view it was a different vehicle on my tail. It's almost intimidating b/c you don't know what to do when you are in a middle lane doing say 10 mph above the speed limit and in the faster left lanes and the supposed to be the slower right lanes cars are breezing by you. You are almost afraid to change lanes.

I'm not a slouch driver but I was new to Atlanta roads and I had my wife and baby in the car so I wanted to be as careful as possible. It's airplane dog fighting on the highways of Atlanta is the only way to describe it best.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by irvm

Since you ask - on a recent trip thru Virginia, I noticed ALL the locals were
driving exactly the posted speed limit. I guess they knew that some vigorous enforcement was going on. So I watched my speed as well. Even that far away from Ga, 8 out of 10 cars that sped past had Ga. tags, and nearly all of those were from - sorry - Cobb County.

I spend a lot of time in the Seattle area, and while nothing is monolithic, either in Atlanta or elsewhere, the majority in Seattle drives without the ubiquitous tailgating and speeding found in Atlanta. I know others will take issue with this statement, but in the northeast where I lived, I never saw the perpetual lack of courtesy and the recklessness like I do here in Atlanta. Sure, there were isolated acts of stupidity, but not a constant stream of them.

I'm not looking for a driving utopia, just some relief from the endless morons who tailgate, never use turn signals, and speed well in excess of any safe limit. Having just moved here recently, let me tell you that the difference is demonstrable and very noticeable.

[darkone]

In Atlanta the problem is there is a dangerously high proportion of


1) People paying three-quarters of their attention to their cell-phone conversation.
2) Arrogant a-holes using their monster SUVs for power trips
3) Young high-testosterone drivers, if I may say so myself
4) Novice drivers from abroad (Mexico, China, Korea etc.)
5) NASCAR Mentality amongst some native southerners
6) People fed-up and angry at being stuck in traffic

These are mainly what make Atlanta traffic raise my BP, not very different from L.A. in that respect.

[kwr]

darkone - i bet you never speed.

[Workerbee12]

Originally Posted by Noc

I have to agree 100%

Originally Posted by Noc

. It's airplane dog fighting on the highways of Atlanta is the only way to describe it best.

I too agree 100% ATL drivers are the worse and they contribute to the traffic problem. I'm from the NJ/NYC area and I do a lot of driving in ATL. I was surprised and annoyed by the tailgating. In NJ/NYC drivers know better than to ride a bumper because that same bumper will be sitting in your lap if the driver in front of you gets annoyed. In my younger days I would have slammed on the breaks and taught that bumper-rider a lesson. Luckily I've matured and understand the affects of an accident on my insurance premiums and life.


From my experience, ATL drivers will drive fast and jam on their brakes when the road curves. This is not 100% their fault, I blame the engineers for the roads having so many curves but I hold the drives accountable because I am sure that many of them drive these roads regularly and for the most part you can see the curves coming. Another problem is that the driver will speed up and slam on their brakes because the car in from was not going 80mph. What’s the problem?!!!? Did you not see that the car in front of you was not traveling as fast as you were approaching? Why did you not use that blinker and change lanes? That is how we do it in NJ and NY. If the car is traveling slowly, we go around the car and keep it moving; hence our traffic is not world renowned.

Why do ATL drivers jam on their brakes so much? Do you know if they understand that when they jam on their breaks, they cause a ripple effect causing all the cars behind them for miles to tap their breaks as well and then cause a slow down in traffic? There should clearly be a lane for drivers who want to drive at 80mph one of 65mph drivers and one for the break jammers.

[SIZE=3]Just my opinion based on my observations and my experience from driving in the streets of New York City and dodging the uninsured motorists and stolen cars in Northern New Jersey.[/SIZE]

[Workerbee12]

GA needs to pass a law banning cell phone use while driving. NJ and NY have one.

[Workerbee12]

Originally Posted by neil0311

As I was driving home from Charlotte, NC this afternoon, I hit 285 at about 5pm. On a clear, dry, sunny day, there were a couple of fender bender type accidents that were blocking lanes and causing delays near the Perimeter Mall exit.

I wanted to share these simple secrets to reducing or elminating these types of crashes that seem to litter the highways in the Atlanta area. I don't realize how terrible the driving is in Atlanta, until I travel back north or to the west coast on business and remember that in other areas people don't act the way drivers do on Atlanta roads. I don't know why, but the tailgating and excessive speeding is just rampant here in Atlanta, to the point of being rediculous. It's no wonder that accidents happen when the car behind you is on your ass trying to do 80 and can't react to conditions ahead. Let's not even discuss the lack of using turn signals.

• Don't drive 80 mph
• Don't sit on my bumper trying to force me to do 80mph (or any speed)
• Use a turn signal and stop weaving in and out of lanes and hitting your brakes while sitting on my bumper trying to do 80mph
• Get that damn cell phone out of your ear and pay attention
• Fix your car. Make sure your tires have tread, your brakes work, and you can see out of that cracked windshield.

[SIZE=3]I agree in respect to fixing their cars. I have seen some cars that would be permitted on the roads in the Northeast. But in GA they are driven with pride as the parts fall off as they are driving it and a cookie trail of rust is left behind. I’ve avoided several of these rolling pieces of --it. I have a belief when I see these cars in the next lane. These rust buckets have nothing to lose and all the paint in the world to gain...my paint that is. So I move away from them as quickly as possible. Because it never fails as I watch these drivers almost side swipe another car or drift in between lanes or stop short.[/SIZE]

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Workerbee12

GA needs to pass a law banning cell phone use while driving. NJ and NY have one.

I absolutely agree!

[mr.man]

Originally Posted by Workerbee12

GA needs to pass a law banning cell phone use while driving. NJ and NY have one.

AMEN, AMEN, AMEN, A couple of $100 tickets and these morons will get the message, put the phones down or get a bluetooth device, trust me these tickets will make a difference. My secret for tailgaters is simple, i slow down go ahead run over me i'd love to see that, you also have the jerks that won't let you make a turn without trying to take your bumper off, they expect you to make a turn doing 50 mph.

[darkone]

Its called controlled realease of agression - I do it when I feel the urge, lol ...

Originally Posted by kwr

darkone - i bet you never speed.